Under the Sea
by Strager
Summary: Short stories, about one chapter long each unless otherwise mentioned, circling around Ariel's sisters and other friends in the ocean.
1. Arista's New Friend

A/N: Everybody knows always what's going on with Ariel thanks to the movies and the series, but there isn't terribly much about Ariel's sisters. So this will be a series of short stories, about one chapter long unless otherwise mentioned, about Ariel's sisters and some other creatures in the sea. Maybe a few about Ariel and Melody too. Time frame will be before, between and after every movie.

About this little story: I got the idea from Little Mermaid III where in one scene one of the sisters collects many of her things from Arista. It stuck in my head and I started to think that what if Arista had a little kleptomaniac feature which would of course every now and then cause her some problems.

Hope you'll like it!

**Arista's New Friend**

"Argh!"

This was so not happening! It wasn't like she'd nicked her father's trident for Poseidon's sake! Just a pretty little seashell box, that had been left on the windowsill. It wasn't even valuable. Honestly, she knew perfectly well not to take anything with greater value, she only ever took pretty stuff that usually wasn't even expensive. There really was no need to confine her in her rooms for the next _week_!

Really!

Arista sighed and leaned on her head on her hand. It was so unfair, sometimes they really didn't understand her. She honestly couldn't help it, it was just so hard to leave all the pretty little trinkets and the cute plush toys to lie around. Sometimes she didn't even notice that she had taken something. And by tap dancing lobsters her father didn't like it. Not one bit. This was probably the tenth time she had gotten him mad. Sometimes she felt that after Ariel left, all the time father had used with Ariel's trouble making was now being used on her and her little fault in her otherwise spotless character.

And, what was the worst part, dear daddy had found her little stash and ordered her to return everything back to their owners if possible. Which most of the time was not possible, because she had no clue who's stuff they had been. Except when they were some of her sisters things.

Arista sighed again, sadly this time and decided to sort her treasures into those which she could return and those she couldn't. She swam to her desk and opened the drawer with her key and pulled out a small chest made of coral and pearls. She took it to her bed and retrieved a small bag where to put the returned stuff. Opening the little chest she rummaged through it picking out anything that belonged to her sisters and what had somehow managed to find its way into her hands. She had found nearly everything when her hands took out a jewel case. It had belonged to Ariel, she had never used much jewelry so she had only a few necklaces she had used in parties.

Arista put it back into the chest. She wasn't going to return that. Perhaps she could put it in her nightstand. Something to remind her of their youngest sister.

Then she went through the chests contents again and took out few trinkets that she remembered belonged to someone other than her sisters. Although she really wasn't sure how to return them, the owners probably didn't even remember them anymore. She closed the chest and put it back to the drawer, she might as well keep the rest as she had no idea who they belonged to as she had also told her father. Who hadn't listened very carefully so he probably hadn't heard a thing.

As Arista was placing the trinkets into the bag, a flurry of movement shot inside her room knocking over a side table in the process, and finally collided with her bed. Letting out an undignified squeak she hid quickly behind her bed. After a few seconds she heard a groan and movement from the other side of the bed. She peeked carefully over the bed. There was a merman in her room. And a rather good looking merman too, he had a dark blue tail and a lighter blue hair that reached his shoulders. Wait, a mer_man_!

Arista shot up from her hiding place. "What in the seven seas are you doing in here? You're a _merman_!" she hissed at the man who looked at her startled by her sudden appearance.

Then he smirked.

"Yeah, I know I'm a merman", he said raising his eyebrow and looking at her mischievously.

Arista sputtered a moment before she got her bearings back. "Yes! I can see that! But have you no idea where you are?"

The merman raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"You're at the royal wing, you idiot! Particularly in the princesses wing! Mermans are not allowed here. Last time Adella managed to bring a merman here dad threatened to skin him! Alive!" Arista continued hissing. "You need to leave now, go!"

"I can't go back there!" he objected.

"What do you mean you can't go back there, of course you – ", Arista stopped in mid stride as her eyes picked up a music box lying in the floor. Her eyes widened.

"Oh no", she breathed shocked. "You didn't."

She stared her mother's music box still as a statue.

"That's Queen Athena's music box", she whispered and closed her eyes. "Of all the things you could have taken, you just had to take that one?"

Her voice rose towards the end until she was almost yelling. The merman tried to sush her hastily glancing towards the door of her room. He took up his bag and put the box in there.

"Will you be quiet?"

"Quiet!" Arista shrieked. "You-, you- What in the name of the seven seas possessed you to take exactly that one", she moaned. "There are plenty of others to take."

The merman paused and looked at her puzzled. "Okay… you have a weird way to react in stealing."

"They're just nice looking things that really have no purpose", Arista huffed. "That _isn't_!"

"Well, too bad, sweetheart", the merman shrugged and swam around her towards the window. "I'm not gonna give this up."

"But-", Arista tried, but was ignored completely. Frustrated she watched as the merman slipped out of her window, glanced around him and swam quickly out of her sight. Oh dear, what should she do? She didn't want to tell the guards, they would put him in the dungeons and she wasn't very comfortable with that since her little problem was quite similar to what the merman had being doing. Although purposely stealing like that was a bit more serious than what she did, Arista supposed, but despite the fact that the merman had been quite infuriating, he had seemed relatively nice person too. Perhaps he had a reason to steal mom's music box.

Arista made her decision and swam quickly in front of the mirror to open her hair and to remove her jewels. She would go after him and find out what he intended to do with the box and somehow get it back. Without her father finding out. She would be so in for it, if she would get caught from something like that.

Moving more quickly, she didn't want to lose the merman, she grabbed a dark blue cape that reach her waist and covered her head with a hood. Gods forbid if any of the guards would recognize her. She slipped through her window and looked around her. She was starting to think that she had lost him when she couldn't see him anywhere but noticed him suddenly just outside the palace grounds. Arista pulled on a determined look and swam fast to catch up with him.

It was surprisingly difficult. He was swimming fast, yes, but not that fast that Arista couldn't follow him, but it was the hiding that was the hard part. Of course he didn't want to be seen by the guards in case he was recognized so he moved very carefully and hid every now and then which made following him quite difficult for Arista. Especially at the market place, where there was an enormous amount of people bustling about.

Arista muttered curses that certainly weren't fit for a princess as she went on and search for the merman. She was at the other side of the market now at the edge of the city. She swam in circles for a few rounds trying to see where he had gone this time. Finally she spotted him outside the city, swimming towards some rocks. Arista swam as quick as she could and was near the rocks in no time. Between the rocks was a gap where Arista snuck swiftly and hurried up. After a few seconds she heard the merman humming quietly as he went. Arista swam up and forward until she had passed the merman and then swooped down and stopped in front of him and glared at him.

The merman cried out loud as he started and stopped quickly so he wouldn't collide with Arista. When he had gotten over his fright, he took a closer look on her and his eyes widened.

"You!"

"Yes, me!" Arista snapped back. "Now, why do you need my mother's music box?"

The merman blinked stupidly. "Your mother's? But the that would mean that you are…"

"One of the princesses, yes", Arista finished his sentence. "Wasn't it quite obvious? You were in the royal wing."

"I- I thought that you were just a maid or something", the merman answered confused.

Arista raised her brows. "And you thought that, because…?"

"Well, because of your attitude towards stealing. Not that I do that very often of course", he hastened to add.

Arista sighed. "Right. And again, why did you take it?"

"Because I needed it."

"Why! What are you going to do with it?" Arista asked frustrated, gods this guy was good at not answering.

"Sell it", he said, giving a proper answer finally.

Sell it? Arista thought shocked. She couldn't let him sell it. They would never get it back again if it would be lost into the ocean with some person who wouldn't even know what they were carrying with them. Arista thought quickly and made a decision. She hoped Dad would never find out about this, at least in the near future.

"How much you are going to ask from it?" Arista asked.

The merman was looking at her suspiciously. "One thousand and five hundred goldshells. Why?"

"Fine, come on", Arista said grabbing his hand and starting to pull him back towards the palace. "I'm going to give you the money."

"What!" he exclaimed. "Why?"

Arista glanced at him frowning. "Because I'm going to have that box back and if all you need is for me to buy it back, then I will."

"But, but-" he stuttered. "This isn't the way these things are supposed to go! And what will your father, the King, is going to say when he hears that you've helped me? I mean bought it back!"

"He's not going to say anything", Arista answered coolly.

"How come?" he asked doubting.

Arista turned to look at him. "Because, I don't intend to tell him."

"But-", the merman started hesitantly. "But isn't he going to be even angrier then?"

"Oh, he'll be really angry when he someday finds out about this, but then it's already done", Arista smiled. She was probably going to be in house arrest again when this came out, but she really didn't intend to tell him about this. That way he wouldn't be prolonging her current house arrest, which reminded her that she had even more reason to stay hidden. She did feel a bit bad for sneaking behind her father's back, but father was so temperamental. He would get really angry and throw the merman into jail and Arista still didn't believe that he was a bad person, just a bit of a scoundrel. Besides, the way he had nearly gotten caught by the palace guards told her that he didn't go around in rich secured houses stealing stuff. He wouldn't have been even seen if was a professional.

"How do you know that he will find out eventually?" the merman asked.

"He always does, sooner or later", Arista said fondly.

"Okay", he said. "Um, which of the princesses you are by the way?"

She smiled. "Arista. And what is your name?"

"Narra", he said.

Arista smiled, she liked his name. It suited him somehow. Arista swam back to the direction they came from and Narra followed looking still puzzled. They were swimming silently and the mood was getting a little heavy and awkward. Arista tried to think something to say to break the silence, she didn't even normally like silence very much and this uncomfortable silence was even worse. They were almost at the city again when Arista spoke up.

"Do you mind if I ask why you need so much money?"

"I owe to Jaga Occo. And the deadline is today", Narra answered. "So that's why I stole the box, I don't have enough money otherwise."

"How come you owe that much?" Arista asked.

Narra looked a bit uncomfortable. "Well, you see. I have this bad habit. I'm always nicking stuff, even when I don't mean to. Just small stuff, nothing terribly valuable usually. I can't help it. But anyway, one time I took something that belonged to Occo, and he doesn't take kindly if someone steals from him. So he told me to pay or I wouldn't like consequences."

Arista blinked. He had the same problem as she did? But she had thought that it was something that was only her thing. She had thought that she was alone with it.

"You… nick things?" Arista asked hesitantly.

Narra was looking downhearted as he answered. "Yeah. Mum always said it'd get me into trouble someday."

Arista couldn't help herself. She giggled, trying to stifle the giggles she pressed her hand over her mouth. Narra looked at her confused once again.

"Why are you laughing?" he asked.

"I'm sorry", Arista tried to calm down. "It's just that I have the same problem. And I thought that no-one else had it." Arista was looking slightly embarrassed.

"You do?" Narra was completely taken by surprise. "But you're a princess."

Arista arched an eyebrow. "Oh and princesses don't have problems, do they?"

Now it was Narra's turn to look embarrassed. "Sorry, how should I know, right?"

"That's okay", Arista smiled. "Well, anyway, that was the reason why I was in my room this time of the day. Daddy found my stash after he caught me and a seashell box that didn't belong to me and wasn't too happy about it. He put me into house arrest for the rest of the week."

Narra returned her smile carefully. "It does get you into trouble, doesn't it?"

"Oh, yes", Arista sighed. "Sometimes I wish that I wouldn't have it, but…"

"But…?" Narra tilted his head.

"Well, my little sister Ariel, she once said to me that I wouldn't be me if I didn't have that feature in me. She was the only one who sort of understood me, because she had this hobby of collecting thing from the surface. Daddy didn't like that either", Arista smiled a bit sadly. "So I usually think about her when I start to get depressed about my 'hobby' and it doesn't feel so bad anymore, to be me, nicking included."

Narra smiled. "She sounds nice, your sister. And I think she's right, you know. It's not like we nick anything valuable, is it?"

Arista giggled. "No!"

"Hey, if I show you my stash sometime, will you show me your?" Narra asked grinning.

Arista nodded happily. "I'd love to!"

Suddenly a shadow covered them and Arista's smile turned into a startled cry. Narra pulled her behind him as a pair of nasty looking mantas slowly glided in front of them smirking in a way Arista didn't like. She watched from behind Narra as the mantas glanced at each other and turned to look at Narra.

"Well well, isn't that the little pipsqueak", the other one said softly.

"Shouldn't you be going to the other way?" continued the second one.

"Of course, as soon as I've picked up the money you boss wants", Narra said crossing his hands dropping the bag with the music box at the same time in front of Arista. Arista took the hint and grabbed it quickly and held it protectively against her chest.

"Oh, so you have the money", the first one sounded doubtful.

"Yes, he'll have it by sunset as agreed", Narra answered.

"This one, though, looks like a distraction to me", the second one said and circled around behind them and towered over Arista. She backed off against Narra who wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"She's not a distraction", Narra snapped. "Unlike you!"

"We?" they answered together.

"Yes, now piss off, would you", Narra said, "or would you like your boss to get his money late?"

The mention of their boss not being pleased with them seemed to set them off and after a few comments they glided away glaring at Narra as they went. Arista sighed wavering slightly. She didn't think she had been that scared ever in her life before. Narra let go of her and gazed at her worried.

"Are you alright?"

Arista nodded. "Yes, I think so. Who were they?"

"Occo's henchmen. Sorry you had to meet them", Narra said.

"That's okay", Arista said unevenly. "They just nearly scared me out of my fins."

Narra hovered next to her uncertainly until Arista took his hand again and pulled him towards the city again. They were right at the edge of it now and as they swam, they threaded through the streets and market places avoiding the guards as much as they could. Arista led Narra into small back garden that very few people used. It was an old garden, built some centuries ago by some king that had given it as a present to his wife. Not as beautiful as her parents garden if asked her. But it suited just perfectly for Narra to hide while Arista would go and get the money.

Arista took him behind some coral bushes and told him to stay hidden in there. Then she gave the bag back to Narra and told him that she would be back soon. Before he could say anything, Arista had started swimming back to her room's window. She really couldn't go from the front doors. She glanced around her and snuck through her window. Inside her room, she went straight to her wardrobe and dug a moneybag from there. It was dark green and her father had charmed it to fit anything in it and so that it wouldn't weigh anything. It had been a birthday present some years ago, but she thought that it would okay to give that one to Narra, she had a another one she had also gotten from her father.

As she was carefully sneaking out from her room through their dressing room, she almost collapsed with her maid.

"Oh, Poseidon you scared me, Nena!" Arista hissed.

"I'm sorry, your highness", Nena answered. She was young, about the same age as Arista and her hair was as golden as Arista's but her fins were dark green. She really liked being Arista's maid although the princess got her in trouble every now and then.

"Where are you going?" she asked. "I thought you were in arrest?"

Arista put a finger against her lips. "Silently, please. And I know I'm supposed to be in arrest, but this is an emergency. Could you help me?"

"I suppose so, your highness", Nena answered.

"Thank you! I need to sneak into the treasure chamber to get some money-", Arista stopped and furrowed her brows in thought. "Wait, could you go get it for me if I give you my ring?"

Nena looked at her uncertainly. "I won't get in any trouble from this, do I?"

"What, no. When they ask you what you are doing there, show them the ring and tell them that you are there to pick up some money for me. They'll know from the ring that I sent you, of course I couldn't come myself because Daddy put me in arrest. They'll show you which chest is mine where you can take the money", Arista explained and handed her the money bag.

"How much money will I bring to you?" Nena asked as she took the bag.

"One thousand and five hundred goldshells", Arista said.

Nena's eyes widened slightly. "Alright, your highness."

"Thank you so much", Arista said. "Now go, quickly."

Nena nodded and left the dressing room and Arista returned to her room nervously starting to circle around it. What if they wouldn't let her pass? What if Dad would ran into her and started asking questions? Nena wasn't very good at lying. Or if the guards would find Narra in the garden?

Arista took a deep breath_. Calm down_, she told herself, _it will be fine. Everything will be fine._

At that moment someone knocked at her door making her let out a very undignified squeak. Fortunately it was only Nena who was holding the moneybag in front of her smiling somehow dazedly. Arista looked at her puzzled.

"Nena? Are you all right?"

"Yes", she answered dreamily. "I just never knew how nice Heinar was."

Arista stifled a laugh. Nena had apparently developed a crush on the treasure chamber's guard's apprentice who took care of the chamber with the guard. Nena shook her head and handed the bag to Arista.

"There should be everything", Nena said. "I counted them twice."

Arista nodded. "Good."

Just as she was reaching for the cape again they heard the King's voice.

"Arista!"

Arista froze. This couldn't be happening! Of course it was, Arista realized as she looked at the time. It was time to go to dinner. But she needed to get the money to Narra. Arista looked at Nena again.

"Nena, could you do just one thing for me today?" she asked as she went to her table and started to write a note.

"Arista?" the King called again.

"Just a minute, Daddy!" Arista cried and looked at Nena begging with her eyes.

"Oh, alright, your highness", Nena said. "But you really shouldn't do these things. You'll get into trouble."

"I know", Arista said. "Take the money and this note. You know the oldest garden in the eastern side of the palace?"

Nena nodded and took the items.

"There is a friend of mine, he's hiding in the coral bushes. We had a little misunderstanding and I need you to take the money and note to him. His name is Narra. He'll give you a bag when he's gotten the money, alright?" Arista explained. "Please bring the bag into my room and stuff it into my wardrobe."

Nena nodded.

"Thank you", Arista said. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Nena smiled and headed to the window. Arista hugged her quickly before turning towards her door. She didn't know how Nena always knew when to act secretively and when everything was normal.

"Arista!"

"Coming, Daddy", Arista said and dressing quickly her jewels, swam through the door and stopped in front of her father.

"Good afternoon, Daddy", Arista said carefully. She didn't know how angry he still was.

"Arista", the King said. "Have you sorted out your stash."

"Yes, Daddy", Arista answered. "I've already returned my sister's belongings."

"Good. Now, come to eat and then you can continue your arrest", her father nodded.

Arista sighed quietly and glanced longingly behind her. There went her chance of seeing Narra once more. She probably wouldn't see him ever again. Arista turned to follow her father to the dinner feeling down. He would have probably been an awesome friend.

…..

Arista sat in front of her vanity brushing her hair and gazing out of the window later that evening. She was in a miserable mood. She had had so fun with Narra even though the guy had annoyed her at the beginning and the mean mantas had accosted them. Nena had told her that Narra had thanked her profoundly and apologized for the trouble he had caused. The bag where the music box was Nena had brought safely to her room and hid it in her wardrobe like she had asked. When she had checked it later in the evening, she had found the box in perfect shape to her relief. Now she just needed to get it somehow somewhere in the palace to make it look like it had just gone missing instead of being stolen. But she could do that tomorrow.

Now she should go to sleep. Arista got up and cleaned up her things from the floor, turned over her pillow and snuggled under her blanket. She was just about to fall asleep, when she heard quiet rapping from her window. She sat up in her bed and looked at the window, but couldn't see anything. Frowning, when the rapping sound came again, she got up from her bed and approached the window carefully. She peeked down, but nothing could be seen.

"Hey", she started as she heard the voice straight above her.

Arista looked up and smiled, when she saw Narra hiding in the flower bush that grew around her window.

"Narra! What are you doing here?" Arista whispered happily.

Narra grinned. "Sorry for the late hour. I just wanted to know was it a week before you could get out again?"

"Yes?" Arista answered.

"Well, would you like to come and see my stash then?" he asked smiling mischievously.

Arista's eyes widened slightly as she watched Narra and listened his words. He wasn't going to disappear! She could get a friend after all! And even someone who would understand her.

"Yes!" Arista nearly squealed. "And then I can show you my stash, although it has been severely diminished."

"I don't think that will be a problem", Narra said.

He was about to say something else when Arista heard the muted sounds of the palace guards who were doing their nightly rounds.

"Hide!" Arista hissed. "Quickly!"

Narra slipped deeper into the flower bush disappearing from the view and Arista ducked behind the windowsill. When the guards had passed, the pair emerged from their hiding places and looked to the way where the guards had gone.

"Maybe you should go", Arista said disappointed. "So that you don't get caught sneaking around once again."

Narra nodded. "Where do you hang out, when you are not in the palace?"

"I'm often at the Catfish Club", Arista said. "I get to play in their band sometimes."

"Cool", Narra said. "You don't suppose you could be there next week?"

Arista smiled. "I suppose I can manage it."

Narra laughed quietly. "Okay, I'll meet you there."

Arista nodded and they said quick good nights. Then Narra had slipped out of the palace grounds before the guards could notice him. Arista stayed by the window after he had left and hummed happily to herself.

Suddenly the house arrest didn't sound so bad anymore.


	2. Being Brave

**A/N:** A little something that my mind cooked up as I was watching The Little Mermaid Series, episode 'Heroes'. To avoid confusion (if someone has seen the episode in question) I'll say that I have changed the appearance of the dragon even though I do not describe it too much. I am not normally bothered with physics of nature laws when dealing with fairytales and fantasy, but having a dragon with four legs and wings under the sea doesn't work with me. It's awfully annoying… So the dragon here is more traditional sea dragon without wing and legs instead more snake-like and with fins.

* * *

Being Brave

"Arieeel!" Flounder's desperate and terrified scream cut through the water making Apollo's blood freeze in his veins. He stopped and glanced back at the sea dragon's cave his inner battle clearly visible on his face.

When King Triton's youngest daughter had asked to accompany him to Valhalla, he had tried to decline. She didn't know the truth about him, no one did, and he didn't want to disappoint anyone nor did he have the courage to come clean after twenty years of letting others believe that his heroics were true. But how it made him feel guilty. And afraid that if the princess were to come with him, something would happen to her because he was not able to save her.

But the King himself had given the princess his permission and tasked him with her protection, how could have he said no. And it hadn't been long into the trip, only three days, when they had already been in mortal peril in the slow sand pit. And it had been Ariel and Flounder who had got them out of the pit, not the great hero of the Octopun War, making him feel even guiltier about not resisting the princess' request more.

The youngest daughter of the Sea King truly was an amazing mermaid, he had found quickly after that episode as they travelled on. She was brave, like he should have been, and she wouldn't give up. Apollo didn't understand why Ariel would not see his cowardice even when everything that happened as they travelled on just gave more and more proof of the matter. Perhaps it was the innocence of youth and naivety of blind trust that made her believe in him. Or maybe it was something else he just couldn't understand.

Apollo also learned that the princess was endlessly curious about everything. Half of the scrapes they got into happened because of Ariel's curiosity and even though Apollo had requested that she reign her curiousness in at least a little, he found he just couldn't deny that of her when he saw the wonder upon her face. Just plain wonder for all the things she saw and experienced. From the insignificant and plain little seashell to the breathtaking thrill of the currents, it all brought forth that wonder in her smile and laugh. And it was awfully catching, he had many times caught himself smiling or laughing with her.

Except when they got into trouble because of it. Then he was once again reminded of what he was. And at the dungeons of Valhalla she found out that as well. But once again she surprised him. She did not turn away in disgust that he had dared to lie to her and everyone else for twenty years. She did not get angry about it either. Instead he found out that the princess was not only kind but also compassionate, when she told him that everything was alright, that everyone got scared sometimes.

In that moment something in him shifted. At the time he hadn't noticed it really. The change, even though small made him see the world in an entirely different light. Made him see Ariel in a different light, though he didn't realize quite how at that moment. But now that he was once again running away, cowardly, and hearing Flounder yelling at Ariel's name, his heart seemed to stop when he thought about the sea dragon and what it might do to Ariel.

Apollo gritted his teeth in frustration. What did it matter? He probably wouldn't be able to save her anyway. They were all doomed. He wasn't brave enough or strong enough to take on a sea dragon! He was just a useless coward. Then he heard Flounder yell again.

"Watch out, Ariel!"

He sounded as terrified as moments before. But somehow Apollo got the feeling that Ariel was trying to draw the dragon away from her friend. It would be just the kind of thing she would do. Apollo stared at the cave. Ariel had to be scared in there and still she tried to defy then dragon. She thought that he could be brave too. So if Ariel could battle the dragon despite her fear, would Apollo be able to do the same?

Apollo drew himself up straighter. Ariel believed he could. He turned towards the caves and dived down speeding up as he went. When he swam past the Viking guards he snatched the first thing that got caught in his hands from their weapons belts, which happened to be a whip. The twists and turns of the caves just flashed by him as he dashed through them towards Flounder's screams. The sight that met him when he finally reached them almost froze him again.

The sea dragon seemed even bigger than moments before. Its long body circling around the cave, blocking most of the entrances was stopping Ariel and Flounder from escaping. Flounder was hiding in Ariel's arms while the dragon appeared to be readying another burst of sky fire. The dragon was just about to spout again when Apollo pulled the whip behind him and threw it towards the dragon's face snapping its jaws shut. He couldn't let anything happen to Ariel. He couldn't imagine a world without her and if something were to happen to her, it would be all his fault and he wouldn't be able to stand that.

The great dragon pulled against the whip and Apollo swung along until he saw an opportunity and grabbed the dragon's bristle on the back with his other hand and hung on as his life depended on in. Which it probably did.

"Ariel! Flounder! Get out of here!" he yelled as the dragon started to trash around rocks grumbling beneath it.

"But Apollo - !" Ariel tried to resist.

"No! Just go!"

They did eventually and Apollo focused on the dragon and how to stay on it. He felt like it went on forever and he was near exhausted when the dragon finally started to calm its movements. All the trashing had brought them outside the cave and Apollo noticed only now the awe on the faces of the Vikings. Apollo was shaking as the adrenaline left his body and he no longer needed to struggle against the dragon. His hands were so tightly around the whip and the bristle that he didn't know if he could get them to open again.

Apollo breathed deeply to steady his trembling and searched around to find Ariel and Flounder. It didn't take long for him to see them as he noticed the two of them dashing towards him. Suddenly he found that he was surrounded by red hair and small pair of surprisingly strong arms as Ariel embraced him.

"You're alright! Thank the Sea! And you saved us", Ariel said. "Thank you!"

"I did?" Apollo said faintly before everything started to sink in and his face got a little bewildered smile. "I did", he said sounding slightly amazed at himself.

"I told you that you could be brave", Ariel said smiling widely. "Come on. I think the Vikings want to throw us a party."

Apollo nodded and they made to swim towards the Vikings when a messenger rushed to the leader of the Vikings. They conversed for awhile and then the leader swam swiftly to them.

"I've gotten some news I think might interest you."

Apollo and Ariel nodded a little worried. The leader seemed to be quite serious.

"The Octopuns have attacked Atlantica", the leader told them.

Their eyes widened and they glanced at each other.

"Oh no! We've got to get home!" Ariel exclaimed.

Apollo nodded. "Yes. And I think I know how we can get there real quick."

He smirked down at the dragon and exchanged knowing grins with Ariel.

xXx

Ariel watched as Apollo was hailed by all of Atlatica. She was so happy for him. He could finally be at peace with himself because this time he actually did everything everybody said he had done. Though she was a little sad. She knew Apollo would be leaving after this and she had really grown to like him during their adventure. And now that he no longer was weighed down by his shame and guilt, his kind, brave and just nature with dry wit was even more pronounced than before.

She was going to miss her new friend. She sighed and turned to swim towards the outskirts of the city. She wanted to go and spend some time with her collection, to think. She didn't get far however before she heard someone calling for her. Ariel turned around to see Apollo swimming towards her. As always his golden hair glittered as a sharp contrast to the indigo blue tail of his. Ariel could understand quite well why Adella had a crush on him. He really was pretty good looking guy with strong and muscular body and a handsome face. Even the crooked nose he had from the Octopun War just gave his face a little more character.

"Wait up, Ariel" he said as he reached her.

"What is it, Apollo?" Ariel asked as she slowed down to a stop.

"I wanted to see you before I left", Apollo said. "Well I'd prefer not to leave at all, but I can't do that."

"Oh? Why not? I know people here would love it if you stayed", Ariel said.

"Yes, I know, but I need to go and have some adventures to proof myself. At least to myself. I've been away having 'adventures' for so long and now that I know I can do other than just be afraid, I need to go and see it for myself", Apollo explained.

Ariel smiled in understanding. "I see. But you will come back though, right?"

Apollo smiled at her and there was something in that smile and those eyes that made her stomach give a little flip. "I couldn't stay away, Ariel. You gave me an ability to finally see my courage and self-confidence, but I'm afraid that in return you have taken something from me. Something, that will have me returning here eventually, probably sooner than later."

Ariel furrowed her brows in confusion. "What? What did I take from you?"

Apollo took her smaller hands in his larger ones and raised them to his lips and pressed a light kiss upon them. "My heart."

Apollo let go of her hands and Ariel pulled them away to start slowly fiddling with them eyes widening. "Your heart?"

Apollo nodded smiling softly. "Yes." Then he grew a little more serious. "Just, tell me if you do not wish me to come back. I will stay away then."

Ariel's eyes widened even more and she felt slightly distressed at the thought that Apollo wouldn't be coming back. "No! I do want you to come back!" she exclaimed and continued a bit more uncertainly, "Though I do not know what to think about your heart."

She looked at Apollo apologetically. He smiled at her. "That's okay. Perhaps you'll know by the time I get back. And if you don't we can find out then."

Ariel gave him a small smile and nodded. "Okay."

Then they gave their goodbyes and Ariel started into the great blue sea as Apollo's figure became smaller and smaller until she no longer could see him. She looked down upon her hands where Apollo had placed a kiss and found herself blushing slightly. She took one last glance towards where Apollo had disappeared, hoping that he would return soon and quickly dashed towards her hidden cave containing her collection. She needed to think.

A lot.


End file.
